Today the STO Building Group and RC Andersen Construction announced the two firms have joined ranks, making RC Andersen the newest member of the STO Building Group family of companies. The merger enhances the services and geographic reach both firms can offer clients in the growing industrial and distribution sector
“Joining the STO Building Group allows our clients to benefit from the added services we can offer them, anywhere across their geographic platform,” says Robert Andersen, founder and President of RC Andersen. “The merger also allows us to provide more opportunities for our employees, from the employee ownership program to the extended resources and other benefits of being part of a larger group of companies.”
Founded in 2006 and based in New Jersey, RC Andersen is a general contractor in the industrial sector that offers comprehensive construction management and project management for property owners, developers, and tenants. The company is focused on delivering high-quality projects as quickly as possible in a time when the demands of e-commerce have made it increasingly critical to generate warehouse distribution space and cold storage facilities expeditiously and efficiently. Some of the firm’s key clients include Prologis, Trammell Crow Company, Amazon, Hillwood, Bridge Development, Matrix Development, Clarion, and Bluewater Property Group.
“Our STO Building Group companies have been working across North America with clients in the booming industrial and distribution facility market, and we don’t see that slowing down anytime soon,” says Robert Mullen, STO Building Group CEO. “RC Andersen’s particular expertise will only enhance the specialized knowledge and experience we’re able to offer clients in this sector, as well as provide RC Andersen’s existing clients with extended services and geographic reach across our platform.”
Mullen tells BD+C that STO has known Andersen and his company for several years, “and have always admired their position in the market.” And thanks to the prominence of another STO-affiliated company, Layton Construction, “we have become increasingly involved in the distribution and warehouse market, where RC Andersen is already a known leader.” Utah-based Layton Construction merged with the organization in 2019.
STO Building Group’s family of companies model has helped the firm move up eight spots on ENR’s Top Contractors list—from #14 to #6—in just the last two years, while allowing each member company to maintain its name, reputation, and leadership structure. Seattle’s Abbott Construction merged with STO last year.
“Opportunities to merge with great companies like RC Andersen are the very reason we shifted our company structure to the STO Building Group platform,” says James Donaghy, STO Building Group executive chairman. “We value the reputation and heritage of the firms who merge with our organization, and each has kept its name as a way to honor that legacy. As we continue to grow, we want to respect that history, but also reflect the collective expertise our companies offer and allow our employees to benefit from the larger organization’s resources.”
RC Andersen will retain its name, logo, and cultural identity, and its current leaders will retain an ownership position in the organization and maintain their roles as the senior leadership team of the business. It is anticipated that new job opportunities will be created as a result of the merger to support the company’s projected growth for 2022 and beyond.
“This merger assures the future of RC Andersen and our employees for decades to come,” Bob Andersen tells BD+C. “We see this transition is an exciting next step in the evolution of our business.”
Editor's note: Some comments from Robert Andersen and Robert Mullen were added after this article was posted initially.
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